This just in: A Facebook friend wrote asking about the use of Kindles and other e-book devices in her book club.

A good friend and I are starting a book club, and someone has asked if she can use her Kindle. Although I don't see a problem, my co-founder says, "Definitely not." What are your thoughts? Any advice would help.

The problem the friend has with Kindles, apparently, is her fear that e-readers are putting bookstores out of business. So a compromise was reached: use your Kindle at home, but just don't bring it to the book club.

Wanting to save bookstores is a laudable concern. But the club's solution—use your Kindle, just don't let us see you do it—is like closing your eyes against a tsunami: if you don't see it, maybe it's not happening.

Tough issues—preserving tradition vs. moving into the future. But both the future and technology are unstoppable—technology IS a tsunami ... and it WILL engulf everything in its path. One need only took to history: ♦ scroll → book ♦ buggy → auto ♦ movies → tv ♦ mailbox → inbox.

Still, there's room for books and e-readers. Scroll down to the blog post right below this one, BOOKSTORES MAY STICK AROUND AFTER ALL. The past five years it seems have seen real growth in their numbers.

So what do you think? Do your book club members use Kindles?

Comments

Some of my two book clubs members use Kindles, and some don't. I use my Kindle and printed books. The disadvantage of using my Kindle, and others of geriatric age, is that page numbers are not given, only location numbers so I can't easily turn to page 624 to read a paragraph someone is citing. Initially Kindle books were one third the price of hard cover editions, and was certainly a good reason to buy a Kindle and save money. The price difference is rapidly diminishing. Kindles are certainly not going to put book stores out of business; it's just too much fun to browse the "stacks" and peruse the tables with special offerings enticing customers to buy. Certainly book clubs should not try to regulate their members preferred source ofreading matter.